Sr. Director - Small Molecule Manufacturing Operations

Eli Lilly - Lebanon, IN

Full-time - Senior

Lebanon, IN

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We're looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Lilly is currently constructing an advanced manufacturing facility for production of API molecules located in Lebanon, IN. This facility is Lilly's largest investment in manufacturing capacity and is intended to provide APIs for current and future products. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of the leadership team for the startup of a greenfield manufacturing site, and the successful candidate will help to build the organization, the facility and the culture to enable a successful startup into GMP manufacturing operations. The Senior Director Operations - Small Molecule Expansion is directly responsible for managing the manufacturing operations function and ensuring it has the necessary capacity, capability and leadership structures in place to deliver the site manufacturing plan. The role is also responsible for leading the integration of the cross-functional management team that provides functional support to manufacturing operations. This role will be key to ensuring a strong safety culture and establishing a safety focused mindset within the organization. The role will have responsibility for the second increment (expansion) of small molecule manufacturing. The Senior Director Operations - SM Expansion is also a member of the Lilly Lebanon Plant 1 Site Lead Team, that has collective responsibility to develop and implement the strategic direction, organizational capability and management of the site. Primarily, the members of the team drive the site toward achieving long term business objectives; they continuously develop the business and the organization for the future bearing in mind corporate objectives and the continuously changing external environment; and they manage issues that span multiple teams in the organization and extend into the broader corporate/external context. In the project delivery phase and startup phase of the project (startup expected 2026 to 2028), the Site Lead Team roles will be fluid and dynamic as we endeavor to support the project delivery, build a new organization, develop and implement the necessary systems and business processes required to support GMP operations, and build the site culture. This will require significant collaboration, creativity and resilience as the site grows to a full scale GMP manufacturing through start up.

Responsibilities

• Build the organization with the necessary capability, capacity and culture to operate this facility to the highest standards of safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Develop and implement the systems and processes needed to run the site, leveraging existing Lilly knowledge where necessary, but also incorporating external experiences and learning.
• Establish lean practices and a continuous improvement mindset throughout operations and the direct supporting organizations.
• Support the project team to deliver the facility to you as the end user, by providing feedback and support on design decisions, commissioning strategies etc.
• Develop the strategic and operational plans for Production Operations and be responsible for the execution of these plans in his/her areas of direct responsibility.
• Participate in development and delivery of the medium and long term strategic direction for the site.
• Ensure Manufacturing Operations remain compliant with all applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ensure the Production Flow Team and Process Teams meet expectations described in Lilly's Manufacturing Standards for Operational Excellence.
• Ensure that a robust control system exists to manage the business, identify compliance issues and escalate issues appropriately is established and maintained.
• Through leadership of the cross functional management support team, be responsible for implementation of new product introductions & continuous improvement opportunities.
• Develop the future management and technical leadership for the site and for potential global assignments.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a science or engineering field
• 10+ years of experience in a leadership role within the pharmaceutical industry
• Experience in API manufacturing including a Process Safety Management program.
• Knowledge and understanding of cGMPs and how they apply to manufacturing operations.
• Strong ability to form effective relationships at all levels.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully developing, managing and executing projects from start to finish on time and within budget with high performance standards that ensure customer satisfaction.
• Experience developing and managing extremely talented, engaged and high performing teams with a focus on building strong team cultures.